The vibrant emerald powder is finely ground green tea leaves and has been used in Japan and China for thousands of years as part of traditional tea ceremonies. While its sister green tea is steeped in water, when drinking or eating matcha you are actually consuming the whole powdered leaves.

Now widely available as a superfood (with a superfood price tag), matcha is used in everything from smoothies and raw desserts to stir fry and soups. But is matcha worth the hype?

"That's where the debate is," Duane Mellor -- accredited practising dietitian, Dietitians Association of Australia spokesperson and Associate Professor of Nutrition and Dietetics at University of Canberra -- told The Huffington Post Australia.

"There are more compounds in matcha which are known to be very powerful antioxidants when tested in a test tube -- however, whether they have that effect in the human body is questionable."

"There are studies looking at cells in test tubes and that it can reduce cancer cell development and boost metabolism in mice, but not in humans," Duane said.

Looking at matcha or green tea is like comparing spinach or kale. Green tea is a good low calorie drink and if you're happy with that, there's no need to search for matcha.

The other reported health benefits of matcha are its calming and metabolism boosting effect.

"The other thing that is becoming of interest is the non-protein amino acid called L-theanine, which is not used to make protein but is found in tea leaves," Mellor told HuffPost Australia.

"L-theanine is linked to relaxation but again, it's very early stages so it's hard to say its true effect. It seems to have some interesting, positive effects in animals and test tubes. There's not enough research to be sure."

For people who are watching their weight, Mellor cautions to be somewhat wary of matcha lattes.

Getty Images/iStockphoto
Pretty matcha latte art.

"If you're having it in the form of a latte, you've got to be a bit careful as they contain a lot of milk and possibly sugar, so it could be quite a high energy drink," Mellor said.

"If you're having that frequently with an extra snack, that can quite easily increase your energy intake which might not be necessarily what you're trying to achieve."

If you're a happy green tea drinker, Mellor said it's not necessary -- but entirely optional -- to upgrade to matcha.

"Looking at matcha or green tea is like comparing spinach or kale," he said. "Green tea is a good low calorie drink and if you're happy with that, there's no need to search for matcha.

"But if you do fancy something a bit different, and if you're having matcha that's not got added sugar or calories, it can be a far better choice than your sugary soft drinks. You'll have a low energy drink that's got more flavour than water."